Executive Director

ABOUT LA RAZA CENTRO LEGAL, SAN FRANCISCO

La Raza Centro Legal, San Francisco (LRCL) is an award-winning non-profit community based legal aid agency and San Francisco Legacy Business in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District. Founded in 1973 by Chicano law students, we proudly build upon the legacy of our founders. Our licensed attorneys provide excellent legal services to Spanish-speaking, immigrant, and low-income community members in the counties of San Francisco and San Mateo, as well as the wider Bay Area. Each year, La Raza Centro Legal serves over 4,000 individuals.

A renowned anchor agency community law office, we offer trusted and reliable no-cost legal services to vulnerable and low-income individuals and families across the Bay. Our dedicated staff advocates for our clients’ civil and human rights across four primary program areas: Immigration Law, Asylum and Deportation Defense, Elder and Disability Law, and Workers’ Rights. Our attorneys are experts in their legal specialties and are sought after to provide Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and other trainings to attorneys and legal aid workers across California.

LRCL is a reliable community resource that families have depended on for generations. Our mission is to be the most trusted provider of free legal services in California. To see our mission in action, view a brief video highlighting the passion of our staff and impact on our clients.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

La Raza Centro Legal (LRCL) seeks a highly collaborative, diplomatic leader with deep commitment to serving Spanish-speaking, immigrant, and low-income communities to build upon our over 50-year legacy of community impact. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director (ED) will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for LRCL’s staff, programs, and execution of its mission. With an operating budget of approximately $2 million; a positive culturally and linguistically competent staff team of around 18; and a dedicated and experienced 5-member Board; LRCL is experiencing steady growth, allowing for the development of this and other leadership positions that will help shape the next stage in LRCL’s essential, community-based legal representation work. At LRCL, our team of capable attorneys advocate for our clients’ civil and human rights. Read our latest Annual Report for more information on our client-centered approach.

The Board seeks a bold and visionary leader to build our agency’s future, predicated upon our commitment to core social justice and human rights ideals. The leadership of a new ED will help lay the foundation for LRCL’s next 50 years.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Organizational Leadership & Management

• Lead, coach, develop, and retain LRCL’s highly experienced team of attorneys and staff implementing human resources processes and ensuring they align with best practices for California legal aids.
• Manage office, personnel, HR, operations strategy, and related processes to ensure smooth processes and achievement of organizational goals.
• Represent LRCL in labor relations, including regular communications with union leadership, conflict resolution with union members, and negotiation of benefits, wages, and other union members’ rights.
• Represent LRCL as a collaborative partner with Centro Del Pueblo (CDP), home to LRCL and other non-profit organizations serving the community, and serve as a member of CDP’s board, participating in regular communications relating to negotiation of strategies with CDP partners to undertake renovations of the CDP building to ensure it is well-maintained and operates safely and efficiently.
• Work collaboratively with LRCL’s Leadership Team valuing the ideas, suggestions, and innovations of this experienced group of managing attorneys in organizational decision-making processes, particularly in these areas: strategies to standardize delivery of legal services across departments; professional development and leadership methods utilized with agency staff; and priorities for programmatic and staff expansions or contractions.

 

Program Oversight & Development

• Provide effective management and team-building support to supervisory attorneys, who are Legal Directors of our core Departments, to further develop and build their skills, experience, and performance.
• Provide regular program reporting, metrics, and communications required or requested by government funders or other funders.
• Support LRCL’s provision of legal services, collaborating with staff and Board to assess current legal services and programs, and provide thought leadership to continuously improve the delivery of legal services and programs.

Strategic Development, Implementation & Fiscal Responsibility

• Work with the Board, Development Director, Development Consultants, and staff teams to devise and implement an annual development plan and to create effective strategies to ensure substantial growth in organizational fundraising and increase financial diversification and sustainability.
• Manage creation, implementation, and evolution of LRCL’s strategic plan and annual business plans, including building and monitoring the annual organizational budget.
• Supervise and ensure fiscal soundness and stability, including overseeing fiscal management and compliance and financial accountability and reporting.
• Achieve annual fundraising metrics set in partnership with the Board, Development Director, and Development Consultants.
• Foster positive relationships with existing donors ensuring current sources of funding are protected and enhanced.
• Expand LRCL’s donor base, diversifying funding streams, including broadening and deepening relationships with foundations and other non-governmental funders and donors.
• Oversee grant management and supervision of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for local, state, and federal agencies and private entities including foundations.
• Serve as LRCL’s primary liaison with local, state, and federal grantors as well as private grantors.
• Oversee financial assets and planning, development of budgets, and compliance with grant and contract requirements and accounting principles.

Board & External Relations

• Partner with and support the effectiveness and development of the Board of Directors in their roles of governance, strategic direction, and advocacy, through regular meetings, individual relationship-building, and opportunities for learning about and engaging with LRCL’s programs and constituents.
• Serve as primary liaison between the Board of Directors and staff, including regularly reporting on the organization’s operations, fiscal health, and strategic issues.
• Advocate for the organization and field as a spokesperson, boldly and clearly articulating the mission, vision, programs, services, and impact on the community.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with partner organizations and key constituent groups, as well as with government and political leaders, through both direct contact and collaborative partnerships.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The ED will be a proven leader, coach, and relationship manager who has demonstrated values-aligned commitment to LRCL’s mission. Although a California licensed attorney in good standing is strongly preferred, attorneys licensed and in good standing in another state(s) will be considered. Additional qualifications are described below and interested leaders are encouraged to apply even if you may not meet all the desired qualifications. Your lived and professional experiences may be relevant beyond what a list of qualifications would suggest.

Desired Experience & Skills:

• Demonstrated integrity and commitment to the organization’s mission as evidenced by professional and personal experiences and impact.
• At least 5 years of management experience, ideally inclusive of attorneys/legal staff and of a team of 15 or more, with the ability to recruit and coach staff, manage and develop high-performing teams, and set and achieve strategic goals and objectives.
• Track record of effectively leading and scaling nonprofit organizations and/or programs, including having developed and operationalized growth strategies, managed budgets of at least $1.5 million, and reported to and/or worked with or on Boards of Directors.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills; open, persuasive, and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills.
• Marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a diverse range of stakeholders and cultures around promotion of the mission.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) proficiency required.
• Advanced degree (Law) required.
• Must live in the San Francisco Bay Area or be willing to move to the Bay Area with the ability to work in our San Francisco office 4 days per week with remote work one day per week.

Desired Leadership Qualities:

• Self-directed, action-oriented, entrepreneurial, and adaptable with a collaborative approach to organizational growth and planning.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Ability to convey diplomacy, patience, and humor through equally rewarding and challenging work.
• A humble presence with receptivity to constructive suggestions for improvement.
• Passionate, idealistic, and positive with demonstrated integrity and commitment to the organization and our mission. Consistent track record of ethical and honest professionalism, adept at balancing the need for transparency and collaboration. Timely decision-making and follow-through in accomplishing key objectives.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:   The anticipated annual compensation range for this role is $130,000 – $150,000, commensurate with experience. A generous benefits package with health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, and holidays is also offered.

ABOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS

LRCL is partnering with Walker and Associates Consulting – a BIPOC- and woman-owned equity-centered strategic management consulting and search firm – to facilitate this search. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and a list of three references. References will not be contacted without advance notice, and the reference list should include at least one (1) individual who, in a prior employment context, was a direct report. Applications should be submitted to lrclsf@walkeraac.com by Friday, April 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm PT.

Use the subject line “ED Application” and submit PDF or Microsoft Word files only, preferably with all materials in one combined file. Resume review begins immediately.

Questions or Nominations? Contact Jeannine N. Walker at jwalker@walkeraac.com.

 

La Raza Centro Legal, San Francisco is an equal opportunity employer. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.